MOD-BLOG Review: WALL-E

Movie: WALL-E

MPAA Rating: [G]

Mod-Blog Rating: 5 out of 5

The Short Version:

Pixar's newest film stars the last robot on an abandoned Earth, who is given the chance to find love, friendship, and the path to save the very human race. The film is well-made with amazing visuals and a strong story. But it is really the characters which make this film work, especially WALL-E himself. The film is strongly reminiscent of Forrest Gump in its central theme that if you put love, loyalty, and sweetness first, you don't need great intelligence to do the right thing and make a big difference. The only downside of this film for some may be its implied environmental and poiltical messages, which I did not find problematic at all. Highly recommended and safe for children of all ages.

The Long Version.

Pixar took a BIG chance with their newest movie WALL-E, by creating a film where the first 1/2 hour to 45 minutes has almost no dialogue in any normal sense of the word. WALL-E is the last robot of a fleet of them designed to clean up a garbage-strewn Earth, in order to prepare it for the return of the human race. Having been alone for eons, the little robot has exceeded his original programming and grown a personality... a personality which is desperately lonely. The long stretches without music or words could have been grating in a lesser film - I am reminded of some of the Benji films from my childhood - but works well because of strong character work on the part of WALL-E. The trailers and teasers you have probably seen are excellent but still don't really scratch the surface of how adorable and captivating this little droid is.

The first act ends when WALL-E is visited by a probe from long-lost humanity out in space. The probe itself - a far more advanced droid named EVE - shows a little personality of her own, and soon WALL-E is following her all over trying to establish a connection... a friendship. Strong emotions on the part of both are shown clearly without words, mouths, or even human eyes to work with, showing the depth of Pixar's animation skill. And when EVE leaves the planet to race back to humanity with important news, WALL-E tags along on a voyage of exploration, danger, and discovery where he eventually saves the human race.

I was most stricken by the fact that WALL-E's closest cousin movie-wise has to be Forrest Gump, which is the story of a man of severely low intelligence who manages to make himself great thru upholding simple values. One of WALL-E's messages is clearly the same. WALL-E is not a profound thinker - he barely understands the larger world around him. But he has a fundamental core of love, loyalty, and sweetness which carries him thru the plot in a logical way. Even his final act of heroism is done not out of a sense of dedication to a higher ideal, but for the love of EVE.

This is a film that I think everyone in the family can enjoy. It has a sweet innocence for the kids and higher concepts for the adults. In fact, an underlying political message about the environment and our couch potato culture are the only things which some may find grating. But the story is not preachy and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended.

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Deep Thought of the Day: Human Idols and Heroes

Recently, a man in our church has been in the papers and charged with acts that shed serious doubt on his good standing. This man was an Elder of the church, a former pastor, and currently the head of a major charitable organization. The papers have certainly exaggerated the charges, bringing out rumors as well as facts, but it appears at least some of the charges are true.

It has reminded me of the importance of NOT trusting in human idols or heroes.

As children - and even as adults - we are all tempted to pick heroes whom we attempt to model our lives after. For some, it is a great historical figure like George Washington or Teddy Roosevelt. For some, it is a family member - Mom or Dad or a grandparent. For others, it is a mentor - a pastor, a teacher, a counsellor. We look up to these people, and pattern ourselves after them.

But the reality is that very few humans can stand up to the pressure of this kind of idealization. Historians have an obsession with taking heroes off of their pedestals - as seen more recently in the obsession with Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. And even the best men have feet of clay and weak moments. Martin Luther - who stood strong against the Catholic Church under the threat of execution - was an ardent anti-semite. We now know that Mother Theresa often had deep doubts about the existence of God.

Remember, only God can stand up to the intensity of human expectations. One of the reasons He gave us Jesus was so that we could see one perfect human. For all the others, be kind when judging their frailties. Be just, but also be kind.

Some unforgettable advertisements

I create ads everyday, but nothing like this.  I suspect most of these ads were not in the US, which makes me wonder why that is.  Nonetheless, enjoy the ads.

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Colbert on High Gas Prices

Solar Freeze is the worst idea this year

I usually try to keep weekends light, but I am still furious about the announcement yesterday to suspend all solar power building for two years on Federal Lands. Some have said to me "Well, that does not affect private land, so it is no big deal." Here is an article showing exactly how much land is tied up in the Bureau of Land Management which would be PRIME for Solar Power building.

Let me say it again. If the Bush administration or Congress does not reverse this decision by July 4, they ALL deserve to be thrown out of office. I include in that evaluation Barack Obama and John McCain. Supporting or ignoring this move displays complete incompetence at best, or simple corruption at worst.

Bicycling Update - June 28, 2008

I am constantly amazed how every bike ride brings me to something new, even when I am going to the same old place. But it is less fun to see "new things" while revisiting the same old places on the weight graph. This week my weight started out great with the loss of several pounds, and then suddenly jumped up. I believe it was due to taking some allergy meds, as when I stopped taking them my weight went back down quickly. But I pretty much ended off the week where I started it. Which is still down about 5 pounds than before the last post.

The big "milestone" for this week biking-wise was our first trip to Captains Pizza for Guys Night Out as a group. I have been looking forward to this trip for a while, but it is uphill the whole way on a major street (Bridgeport Avenue) so we wanted to wait until I had built myself up cardiovascular-wise. The ride is about a mile, and we made it in only 15 minutes with only one stop to catch my breath. Not bad! And essentially the reason we first decided to buy the bikes.

Our big ride last weekend was almost two hours of riding by the Long Island Sound in Stratford with Mr. and Mrs. Bowhunter. It was a beautiful ride along the water and up along a number of streets in Stratford that I really had no idea existed before. We found a picturesque lighthouse run by the coastguard, saw a motorcycle driving school, and discovered a number of little communities built around the beaches. We'll definitely be back for that ride again.

Stay tuned for more updates, as we exploring biking, scenic Connecticut, and weight loss.